Paul Weller has launched legal action against his former accountants, after they terminated their professional relationship with the veteran British artist because of his stance on the Gaza conflict.
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The Modfather had been a client of Harris and Trotter LLP for more than 30 years until he was notified that they could no longer act for him because they were “offended” by his publicly expressed views of Israel committing genocide in Gaza, according to a statement from Hodge Jones & Allen, which is representing Weller.
Weller has instructed the law firm to take action against the accountancy specialists and business advisors for “discrimination” against him over his “protected philosophical beliefs” concerning the rights of the Palestinian people.
The case will be a test of the UK’s Equality Act 2010, which applies to discrimination in the provision of any services, the result of which could have “wider implications that move beyond the music industry,” reads a message from Hodge Jones & Allen.
“I’ve always spoken out against injustice, whether it’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or genocide. What’s happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe,” Weller explains.
“I believe they have the right to self-determination, dignity, and protection under international law, and I believe Israel is committing genocide against them. That must be called out. Silencing those who speak this truth is not just censorship – it’s complicity.
“I’m taking legal action not just for myself, but to help ensure that others are not similarly punished for expressing their beliefs about the rights of the Palestinian people. No one should face discrimination for speaking out against the atrocities that the people of Gaza are being subjected to.”
Weller’s pre-action letter to his former accountants requests details of other cases in which they have terminated or refused to take on clients for similar reasons.
The former Jam and Style Council frontman was reportedly sent a WhatsApp message in March, in which his accountants resigned with immediate effect. Hodge Jones & Allen shared some of that note. “Everyone is entitled to their own views,” it reads, “but you are alleging such anti-Israel views that we as a firm with Jewish roots and many Jewish partners are not prepared to work with someone who holds these views.”
Weller’s “treatment reflects a wider pattern of attempts to silence artists and public figures who speak out in support of Palestinian rights,” comments Cormac McDonough, a civil liberties partner at Hodge Jones & Allen. “Within the music industry especially, we are seeing increasing efforts to marginalize those who express solidarity with the people of Gaza. The Equality Act was designed to protect individuals from discrimination, including based on philosophical belief, and it is essential that those protections are upheld in practice.”
Weller was a signatory to a public letter defending the Irish rap outfit Kneecap, which faced calls for criminal charges for shouting “Free Palestine” and “‘F— Keir Starmer” during its politically-charged set at 2025 Glastonbury Festival.
Also, the former Jam and Style Council frontman has top billing for the sold-out Gig for Gaza, to be staged October 17th at Troxy in London.
The legal situation emerges just weeks after the release of Weller’s Find El Dorado, a 15-track collection of covers, including songs originally recorded by the Bee Gees, The Kinks, Richie Havens, Christy Moore, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and more. The LP is one of Weller’s 29 solo Top 40 appearances on the Official UK Albums Chart, a tally that includes six leaders.
Weller has pledged to donate any damages awarded or received in settlement of his claim to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza. H&T, winners of Accounting Firm of the Year at the 2023 Music Week Awards, has yet to respond to Weller’s lawsuit.
